Free Web NovelChapter 104: Chapter 97: Surging Undercurrents (2)
The goblins, Lizardmen, and Headhunter Race made no effort to conceal their movements, and many Tribes detected the commotion. The goblins simply didn’t care, acting with their usual brazenness. But the Lizardmen and the Headhunter Race had a different idea. This time, they weren’t out to attack the Tribes of the wilderness. Instead, they were here to protect the wilderness from the Undead menace—they were on the side of justice.
’Since we’re on the side of justice, why should we hide?’ Not only did they refuse to conceal themselves, but they also had to make a grand spectacle of it. They wanted everyone to know that they shouldn’t be called the cancerous tumors of the wilderness. When it mattered most, they could step up to the plate. They hoped to use this opportunity to change the impression others had of them.
The first wave of the vanguard was already assembling, with a planned force of twenty thousand. Goblins made up fifteen thousand of that number. Who could blame them for being used? They were gullible, numerous, and practically born to be cannon fodder.
In this wilderness, the total populations of the Lizardmen and the Headhunter Race were roughly the same, at around one million each. The goblins, however, were on another level. A rough estimate put their numbers at over three million—one Race with more people than the other two combined.
For a Race like the goblins—weak in combat, bullies of the weak and cowards before the strong, desperate to live and terrified of death, cunning and slippery, and exceptionally good at stirring up trouble—it stood to reason that after provoking a powerful Race, they would most likely be hunted to extinction.
And yet, that wasn’t the case. Not only had they avoided extinction, but the goblins were thriving. Even in the remote corner of the world where Li Ziyu was located, their numbers were steadily on the rise.
As a widely distributed Race, the goblins had their own secret to survival: they could breed!
This bunch of little runts had practically maxed out their reproductive instincts. They had even broken through the barriers of reproductive isolation; even if the female wasn’t a goblin, the offspring would always be a goblin.
During their Plundering, the females of other Tribes were one of their primary targets. It truly lived up to the saying: give me one female, and I will give you a world...
The gathering of the Cancerous Tumor Alliance Army sent a wave of panic through the wilderness. Although these "tumors" marched under the banner of fighting the Undead and not harming innocents, the other Races didn’t believe them. After all, the promises of the goblins and the Headhunter Race had always been dubious at best. Going back on their word and having no sense of honor were practically labels plastered across their faces.
Dark undercurrents stirred throughout the wilderness, but Li Ziyu was completely unaware of any of it.
In contrast to the turmoil in the wilderness, the Minotaurs of the Tabu Tribe were living in contentment.
After spending some time with them, they were surprised to discover that the Undead were actually very easy to get along with, possessing surprisingly pleasant temperaments.
During the day, the Undead would hide away, allowing the Minotaurs to move about freely without restriction. They no longer had to worry about anyone coming to bully them; after all, the moment an enemy approached, the Skeleton Architecture would rise from the ground, and vast numbers of Undead would swarm forth.
When night fell, the Undead would emerge, creating a lively scene. The children were delighted, running and jumping around the Undead, who would occasionally interact with them. Once the children were tired out from playing, they would simply go home to sleep.
For many Tribes, getting a peaceful night’s sleep without any worries was unimaginable. The wilderness was filled with too many dangers. Yet, the Minotaurs of the Tabu Tribe had managed it, sleeping soundly and without a care in the world.
And they owed it all to the Undead.
Over the past two days, Mumu and Tas Tuling had gathered their people for a simple meeting. The central theme was clear: ’We can’t go on indulging ourselves like this. If this continues, the Undead will turn us into useless dependents.’
Indeed, Tas Tuling sensed a crisis. The Minotaurs were a peace-loving people, but they were by no means helpless weaklings with no combat ability.
They had experienced battle alongside the Undead. But during the fight against the Headhunter Race, they could barely protect themselves—and that was only because the Headhunters’ attention was focused entirely on the Undead. They had been completely unable to help. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
’How can this be acceptable? In the long run, will the Undead continue to shelter us? Would they give up a piece of their territory for free to a bunch of completely worthless freeloaders?’
For the sake of their children, for their future, and to continue living this peaceful life, they needed to take up their Weapons, hone their fighting skills, and become strong enough to fight alongside the Undead instead of cowering behind them forever.
Tas Tuling’s words left the Minotaurs silent for a long time. Then, the first Minotaur stood up, and a change began to sweep through the entire Tabu Tribe.
Combat practice was now a new part of their peaceful daily lives.
The Tabu Tribe’s own martial traditions were quite ordinary. Fortunately, they had Tas Tuling. The Shamanic legacy contained numerous methods for combat training. He carefully sifted through them, selecting techniques appropriate for the Minotaurs’ current skill level and passed them on.
The daylight hours passed in a flash of gathering supplies and practicing combat. Soon, the last rays of the sunset vanished from the horizon, and Darkness fell once more.
With a deep rumble, the Skeleton Architecture rose from the ground, their eerie Soul Fires igniting.
Skeleton Undead Mobile Fortress, Castle Main Tower.
Below the White Bone Throne, forty Skeleton Longbowmen stood in four neat rows, their silent gaze fixed on Li Ziyu.
’This presence, this condition... No wonder they consumed so many resources. They were well worth the cost.’
Li Ziyu rose and walked to the front row of Skeleton Longbowmen, scrutinizing them carefully.
They stood one-point-eight meters tall, same as the Skeleton Warriors, each holding a two-meter-long Longbow in one hand. At their waists hung Quivers, each containing two Long Arrows. Their skeletons had been specialized; their scapulae, arm bones, shins, and finger bones were all thicker and harder, making them look somewhat disproportionate compared to the rest of their frames.
